Cheesy Chicken Tater Tot Bake (Printable version)
Hearty casserole combining tender chicken, vegetables, and crispy tater tots topped with melted cheddar cheese.
# What you need:
→ Meats
01 - 3 cups cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
03 - 1 cup frozen peas and carrots mix, thawed
→ Dairy
04 - 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
05 - 1 cup sour cream
06 - 1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
→ Pantry & Seasonings
07 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
08 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - 1 bag (32 oz) frozen tater tots
11 - 2 tablespoons butter, melted
12 - Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
# How To:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - In a large bowl, combine the diced chicken, chopped onion, thawed peas and carrots, 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese, sour cream, condensed cream of chicken soup, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir until evenly mixed.
03 - Transfer the chicken mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer.
04 - Arrange the frozen tater tots in a single layer across the entire surface of the chicken filling.
05 - Drizzle the melted butter evenly over the tater tots.
06 - Bake for 40 minutes until the tater tots begin to crisp and turn golden.
07 - Remove from the oven and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese evenly over the top. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and bubbly.
08 - Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired, then serve warm.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It uses simple ingredients you probably already have hanging around your kitchen, especially if rotisserie chicken is a weekly staple in your fridge.
- The crispy golden tater tot layer on top is basically impossible to resist, and kids who normally push food around their plates will clean every last crumb.
02 -
- Do not skip greasing the baking dish because the cream of chicken soup will cement itself to the corners and you will be scrubbing instead of enjoying dessert.
- Keep the tater tots frozen until the very moment they go on top, because even a short thaw turns them mushy and you will lose that satisfying crunch entirely.
03 -
- Shred your own cheese from a block rather than using pre shredded bags because the anti caking additives on bagged cheese actually prevent it from melting as smoothly.
- Let the casserole rest those crucial 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into it, because the filling holds its shape better and you get clean beautiful portions instead of a soupy mess on the plate.